(Columbia, SC) – Two Richland One elementary schools will welcome new principals for the 2025–2026 academic year, with familiar faces stepping into leadership roles starting July 1.
Dr. Timothy Blackwell, who has served as principal of Arden Elementary for the past seven years, has been appointed principal of Meadowfield Elementary. A veteran educator with more than two decades of experience, Dr. Blackwell has held multiple positions in Richland One, including classroom teacher, math coach, interventionist, curriculum resource teacher, and assistant principal.
Dr. Blackwell is a graduate of Benedict College with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education. He holds a Master of Education in mathematics education from Cambridge College, and both an Education Specialist degree and a Doctor of Education in educational administration from South Carolina State University.
Stepping into the role of principal at Arden Elementary is Shameka Stephney, who has served as assistant principal at the school for the past six years. A graduate of Richland One schools herself, Stephney attended Webber Elementary and graduated from Lower Richland High School in 1997.
Stephney brings 14 years of classroom experience from Meadowfield Elementary, where she taught third through fifth grade, including in the advanced academic program. She was named Meadowfield’s 2009–2010 Teacher of the Year. Stephney holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Morris College and two master’s degrees in education from Southern Wesleyan University and South Carolina State University.
Both Dr. Blackwell and Ms. Stephney will officially assume their new leadership roles on July 1, ahead of the district’s first day of school on August 11.
